NGC 104 (aka. 47 Tucanae)
Apparent Magnitude: +4.09
Distance Aprox: 13,000 light-years
Constellation: Tucanae
Star Count Aprox: 10,000
Diameter: Aprox 120 light-years
NGC 104 is a globular cluster that can be seen with the naked eye. Due to its far southern location, 18° from the south celestial pole, it was not catalogued by European astronomers until the 1750s, when the cluster was first identified by Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille from South Africa. It is the second brightest globular cluster after Omega Centauri.
The core of 47 Tuc was the subject of a major survey for planets, using the Hubble Space Telescope to look for partial eclipses of stars by their planets. No planets were found, though ten to fifteen were expected based on the rate of planet discoveries around stars near the Sun. This indicates that planets are relatively rare in globular clusters. A later ground-based survey in the uncrowded outer regions of the cluster also failed to detect planets when several were expected. This strongly indicates that the low metallicity of the environment, rather than the crowding, is responsible.
Taken 11/8/18 via iTelescope remote access by Russell Kille
Bathurst Observatory, Kelso NSW Australia / Elevation 650m, 2133ft.
UTC +11:00
Latitude: 33° 23' 48.00" South
Longitude: 149° 29' 30.00" East
Telescope Used: Celestron RASA 11" Focal Length: 620mm @ f/2.2
Camera: ZWO 1600 Color